Timber company workers resume work, stand by 12 percent demands

Nov 23, 2015 News

Workers of Demerara Timbers Limited (DTL) who took strike action last Friday for a twelve percent increase in wages and salaries, were paid on Saturday instead of Friday.
However, they could not travel out to Linden as no transportation was provided.
The situation caused outrage and one irate worker declared, “Is spite these people spiting we because we strike for the twelve percent increase- so we aint get pay Friday, and to top it off we couldn’t travel out because they aint send out the bus.”
One disgruntled worker vented, “this is beyond eyepass, because we got our families that expect us, we got business to do and these people just decide that they aint gon send out the bus, without any excuse”.
Sources disclosed that the workers are now not sure when they would be able to travel out.
Workers attached to DTL reportedly come from far flung areas such as Linden, the East Coast and even Essequibo, this newspaper understands.
And the Company has over the years supplied a bus that transports the employees out to Linden every Friday, and returns on Sunday to take them back to Mabura Hill.
However, much dissatisfaction has been expressed over the state of the bus, and there are now calls for the Traffic Department of Region Ten to deem it unfit and ‘banish’ it from the roadways.
Workers have also expressed concern over the employment of ”too many” expatriates at the company, even though Management is saying they can’t afford to pay more.
“They are saying that they can’t afford to pay we the twelve percent increase, but every minute they bringing in expatiates to do work that our people right here can do. They even bringing in saw men,” one worker said.
“That aint right because we have people here that need employment.”
The workers had on Friday took to the streets, demanding a twelve percent increase in wages and salaries.
According to informed sources the placard bearing workers had proceeded to the mill site chanting, “No money, no wuk”, and ‘They work we like donkey and treat we like junkie.”
The disgruntled workers are calling for the Minister within the Ministry of Labour Simona Broomes, “To come sweep the area”.
Apart from the pay increase, workers are also demanding 24-hour electricity, and a new bus to transport them to and from the work site.
This newspaper understands that quite recently the bus that is currently being used broke down in the trail leaving some workers stranded for hours.
According to reports, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), had recently engaged the Management of DTL in talks over several issues faced by the company’s workforce.
Some of the issues included a salary increase of 12 per cent, increase in meal and station allowances, also by 12 per cent, night premium for security personnel and the issuance of protective gear.
In all, three meetings were held with the DTL officials. The last meeting was reportedly held last Tuesday.
However, the company reportedly did not approve the twelve percent wage increase but had instead offered a Christmas bonus of $5000 to each worker.
“They want give we $5000 but that is an insult, and we aint accepting it – these people not treating we right,” an aggrieved worker had declared.

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Timber company workers resume work, stand by 12 percent demands

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